Old Wellington junior high to become multifamily apartments

Wednesday

Feb 6, 2013 at 3:00 AMFeb 6, 2013 at 2:57 PM

Wellington City Council gives developers vote of confidence.

Nate Jones

Plans for the old Wellington Junior High building at 311 N. A Street are moving forward. The school district agreed to part ways with the building last month, and at the Feb. 5 Wellington City Council Meeting, a resolution was passed that approved the development of housing for Garrison Community Development (GCD) – the building's new owner.

The resolution passed unanimously, it states that GCD has submitted a housing tax credit application to the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation for the development of affordable rental housing to be located. City staff indicated that the resolution was simply a vote of confidence for the developers as they attempt to obtain tax credits, and that nothing was set in stone just yet.

Included with city council agenda packet was a project narrative for what is being called The Old School Lofts, it reads:

"The Old School Lofts is a proposed multifamily development to be located at 311 North A Street, in Wellington, Kansas. It will be the adaptive re-use of the historic Wellington Middle School building. The building is currently vacant and in need of renovation. Upon completion of the renovations, the development will offer 42 one, two, and three-bedroom units."

The City Council hopes to meet with the developer in person at an upcoming work session to go over the project in more detail. Apartments would be on all four levels of the building. The project narrative also says the building will have a community room, on-site leasing office, exercise room, computer room, tenant storage, and garage parking. All units will have a range,